Balanced door

ABSTRACT

A balanced door, namely, a door which swings on upper and lower arms which are connected thereto and to a pivotally movably vertical torque rod, is provided with a door check and closer device, the arrangement being such that the door check and closer device can be readily installed through the top of the door and readily removed through the top of the door, when the door is opened and tilted in its own plane in a direction away from the torque rod, thereby making it unnecessary to remove the door from the door frame to install or remove the door check and closer device. The connections between the door and said arms are within the door thus eliminating the pivot projections referred to in the art as &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;blisters&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; or knuckles.

United States Patent Primary Examiner-Kenneth Downey Attorney-Harry Cohen ABSTRACT: A balanced door, namely, a door which swings on upper and lower arms which are connected thereto and to a pivotally movably vertical torque rod, is provided with a door check and closer device, the arrangement being such that the door check and closer device can be readily installed through the top of the door and readily removed through the top of the door, when the door is opened and tilted in its own plane in a direction away from the torque rod, thereby making it unnecessary to remove the door from the door frame to install or remove the door check and closer device. The connections between the door and said arms are within the door thus eliminating the pivot projections referred to in the art as blisters" or knuckles.

PATENTEDHAYZSIQYI 3,579,9 39

sum 2 OF 5 FIG. 4 F/6.5

PATENlEn'nAvzsl n 3 579,909

SHEET u 0F 5 70 72 S 66 g s \Y [1/ 1 I1 INVIIN'IW H LOUIS L. SCH RALPH TURN J purchased separately from the door and easily installed and BALANCED DOOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to balanced doors.

Balanced doors are, generally speaking, well known. Briefly described, such doors are not hinged at a side edge but are swingable by top and bottom arms which are connected to the door at points spaced from both jambs of the door frame, said arms being connected to a pivotally movable torque rod vertically disposed within the door jamb or alternatively alongside one of the door stiles. The door check and door closer devices for such doors as heretofore constructed are customarily mounted in such positions as to necessitate the removal of the door in order to gain access to the door check for removal, repair or replacement. This is a disadvantage which is obviated by the present invention. Further, in accordance with this invention, the door check and closer can be a unitary device which is readily available on the market and can be replaced.

Another objection which is obviated by the present invention is the location of the pivots between the doorand the swinging arms within the door as distinguished from the pivotal connections externally of the door involving external projections known as blisters." Also, the top arms may be concealed for a'more' pleasing effect not possible in the semiextemal pivot type of hardware.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION the top and bottom swinging anns within the door itself so that the pivotal connections do not project outwardly from the door.

Another object is to provide an overall flush appearance of the door by having the pivots concealed in the door.

Another object is generally to provide 'a balanced door of improved construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood by the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of installed balanced doors of the invention;

FIG. 2 is diagrammatic plan view illustrating the closed and 55 fully open positions of the door;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the door on a larger scale;

' FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3; FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 6-6 of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 7-7 of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 8-8 of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of FIG. 3; FIG. 10.is a perspective view of a part which connects the upper arm to the spindle of the door check and closer;

FIG. 10A is a view similar to FIG. 10, showing another form of the member;

FIG. 11 is a front view of part of the door showing another form of the invention; and

FIG. 12 is a horizontal sectional view on the line l2-l2 of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 shows two balanced doors 10, each mounted for movement in the opening of frame 12 by operation of upper arm 14 and lower arm 16 fixedly secured at their inner ends to a metal torque rod 18 tumable in bearings 20 and 22. The outer end of arm 14 carries a member 24 which is connected to the door check and closer hereinafter described. The outer end of lower arm 16 carries a pivot 28 for the lower horizontal door rail 30. The glass mounted in and extending between the upper and lower rails 26 and 30 is indicated at 32, although it will be understood that the door need not be a glass door but can be made of wood, steel or any other suitable material.

The torque rod 18 is positioned in the vertical frame structure 34 in which bearings 20 and 22, which are self-adjusting, are mounted. More particularly a pin 35, made of stainless steel or any other suitable metal, is fitted in a recess 36 in the lower end of rod 18 and is rotatable in the recess of bearing 22 while the lower end of said rod is supported by the upper part 38 of said bearing in engagement with a shim 40. The upper bearing 20 is carried by a metal strap 42 secured in the frame structure by screws 44. A pin 46 is fitted in a recess 48 in the upper end of rod 18 and extends into the opening of bearing 20.

A roller 50 is secured to the top of the door and is movable in a guide channel 52 in the upper horizontal doorframe structure 54. Said roller is mounted on a pin 56 which is secured to the top of the door and extends through a longitudinally extending slot 55 upwardly into doorframe structure 54. As in known balanced doors, this mechanism .comprising roller 50 and guide channel 52 results in the movement of the door on its pivots when the door is being moved to its open position by the door handle and to closed position by the automatic door closer usually associated with doorcheck. I

As above stated, an important feature of this invention is the elimination of the door pivot blisters which in balanced doors as known prior to this invention are disposed at least partly externally of the door. Inaccordance with the present invention the pivot and the outer end of the upper arm 14 are disposed inwardly of the inner and outer surfaces of the door as shown by FIGS. 3 6 and 7. The upper arm 14 is positioned above the door and there is sufficient clearance between the outer end of said arm and the confronting end 58 of frame structure 54 to permit unhindered pivotal movement of said arm. The lower arm 16 which carries pivot 28 is positioned within a recess 60 in the bottom of the door. Pivot 28 has a bearing part 62 which extends into the recess 64 in the bottom of the door rail 30 and around which the door is turnable when the door is being moved to its open and closed positions. A shim 65 is provided between member 62 and bearing 28. In order to permit unhindered pivotal movement of arm 16, the bottom of door rail 30 is provided with a movable clearance member 66 which is mounted in recess 60 in the bottom of rail 30 on a hinge 70, with a torsion spring 72, disposed within rail 30 adjacent the outer side thereof. Said spring 72 releasably holds member 66 in a position in which recess 60 is closed and allows arm 16 to move from a position in which the bearing carrying end of said arm is movable from a position inwardly of said rail 30 to positions outwardly of said rail on the outer side of the door. A stop 74 is provided on the inner side of rail 30 to limit movement of clearance member 66 by spring 72 toward the outer side of the door so that member 66 is normally flush with the outer surface of rail 30 on the outer side of the door. The adjacent ends of arm 16 and member 66 are preferably curved as indicated at 76 and 78 to improve the relative clearance motion of arm 16 and member 66.

The door check and closing unit 80 is mounted within the upper door rail 26 near the top thereof. Said unit is readily available on the market and is preferably of the type sold by Eaton Yale & Towne, Norton Door Closer Division, 372 Meyer Road, Bensenville, Illinois, 60106. Said unit includes a tumable spindle 82 (FIG. 9) which turns in one direction about a vertical axis when the door is being opened manually and which turns automatically in theopposite direction about said axis for closing the door. The upper end of spindle 82 has a noncircular part 83 which is connected to arm 14 near its outer end which has'a noncircular recess 84 which fits on spindle part 83. Said member 24 is removably secured to arm 14 by screws 88 and 90. When the door is moved to open position and tilted in its own plane in a direction away from the torque rod 18 access may be readily had through the open top of upper rail 26 for the installation or removal of a unit 80. As shown by FIG. A, the member 24' which corresponds to member 24 is noncircular, preferably, hexagonal in periphery and has a noncircular opening 84' corresponding to the opening 84 of the member 24. Unit 80 is secured to a support 92 which is removably secured within the upper part of rail 26 as is the support 94 for pin 56 of roller 50. Spindle 82 projects upwardly through an opening 95 in said support 92.

In another form of the invention illustrated by FIGS. ll and 12 the torque rod 18a is disposed externally of the door jamb and is mounted in upper bearing 20:: and lower bearing 22a, said upper bearing being secured to and projecting from wall 93 and said lower bearing being disposed externally of said wall in saddle 94.

Also, upper arm 14 may be concealed as illustrated by FIGS. 11 and 12. For this purpose, the upper frame structure 54 which is provided with slot 55 has a front wall 97 which extends beyond the e'nd 58 of slot 55 and up to wall 93.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and that certain changes in the form and arrangement of parts and in the specific manner of practicing the invention may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A balanced door, comprising top and bottom swinging arms on which said door is mounted for movement to open and close the door, a door check device within said door, means for mounting said device within and near the top of the door in position under said top arm, means releasably connecting said top arm to said device, a stationary guide track for the door positioned above said top arm, and means secured to the door carrying a bearing movably guided by said track and thereby causing said arms to swing when the door is moved to open or close it, said bottom arm having a pivot for the bottom of the door, said pivot being disposed between the opposite sides of the door, and a movable clearance member which is positioned at the bottom and is engageable by the pivot end of said bottom arm and is thereby movable to clear said pivot end.

2. A balanced door according to claim 1, wherein the frame structure in which the door is mounted has an upper horizontal part which overlies and conceals the front of the top arm.

3. A balanced door according to claim 1, wherein said door check device comprises a vertical spindle having a noncircular peripheral part, and wherein said means releasably connecting said top arm to said device comprises a member secured to said top arm at its underside by fastening means accessible from above said top arm and having a noncircular opening in which said noncircular part of said spindle fits for releasably connecting said top arm to said device. 

1. A balanced door, comprising top and bottom swinging arms on which said door is mounted for movement to open and close the door, a door check device within said door, means for mounting said device within and near the top of the door in position under said top arm, means releasably connecting said top arm to said device, a stationary guide track for the door positioned above said top arm, and means secured to the door carrying a bearing movably guided by said track and thereby causing said arms to swing when the door is moved to open or close it, said bottom arm having a pivot for the bottom of the door, said pivot being disposed between the opposite sides of the door, and a movable clearance member which is positioned at the bottom and is engageable by the pivot end of said bottom arm and is thereby movable to clear said pivot end.
 2. A balanced door according to claim 1, wherein the frame structure in which the door is mountEd has an upper horizontal part which overlies and conceals the front of the top arm.
 3. A balanced door according to claim 1, wherein said door check device comprises a vertical spindle having a noncircular peripheral part, and wherein said means releasably connecting said top arm to said device comprises a member secured to said top arm at its underside by fastening means accessible from above said top arm and having a noncircular opening in which said noncircular part of said spindle fits for releasably connecting said top arm to said device. 